A Wolf's Crush
by Symbolist
Summary: [Little Red Riding Hood oneshot] A boy has a crush on a girl in his school... and this crush could end up being more disastrous than he ever imagined.


A/N: Well, I've updated. There are some changes here and there, but it's basically the same. Enjoy!  
  
A Wolf's Crush  
  
I stared at her. She was wonderful, light brown curls bouncing around her face as she laughed with her sister. Her sister was lovely too, also with curls, but her's were golden and she was just nine or ten . . . the elder, the beautiful one, was fourteen, just a year younger than me. But she'd never notice me. No, too many boys adored her and presented roses and daisies every day. There was Jack, the redhead, rich kid without a father and brought a hen that lays golden eggs for show-and-tell in third grade. And Hansel, the kid with the younger sister with a crush on Jack. And Peter, that boy who was almost killed by a wolf because of his lies. And then there's me. The one whom she'll never notice.  
  
I am known in the school, but only as someone to tease. I'm not sure why I'm teased though. maybe it's because of my ability to imitate anyone.  
  
Everyone at school has nicknames. Peter is known as "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and Jack is called "The Giant Killer." Hansel and his sister Gretel are "Peppermint" and "Lollipop" because of their experiences with woods, witches, and candy houses. And the golden-haired girl, whose real name was Julia, was called Goldilocks for, well, her golden locks. And she, the beautiful one, Maggie was her real name, was called "Little Red Riding Hood," or "Little Red" for short, because of a cape her grandmother had made her. It was lovely cape. a lovely cape for a lovely girl. It was crimson with lace trim and a hood. It fell neatly to her knees and she always wore to school. If it was a warm day, she wore it, as it was made from thin, cool linen. If it was chilly, she wore a red velvet cloak over it. I was teased with the nickname "Voicer," but I would just mock them using a voice exactly like their own. At first they would stand in shock and awe, but now they're used to it.  
  
In my thoughts my nickname is Wolf because. well, because I'm a werewolf.  
  
No one at school knows. They only think I take vacations once a month. In truth, I'm locked up in a hut with no company. I was the one who scared Little Bonita Peep's sheep. I was the one who caught Peter's nickname for him. I'm the wolf in all of my schoolmate's stories. I can only hope I become the wolf in Little Red's story, too.  
  
~*^*~  
  
The room seemed to shake before my eyes as I transformed. The key slipped from my hands and I ran to mirror and watched myself change. My eyes glowed yellow, ears poked from my shaggy black hair, which was quickly growing all over my face and my snout.my snout.my nose was black and wet. I howled into the night and tore at the door.  
  
I had transformed.  
  
~*^*~  
  
I jumped in front of Little Red, blocking her path. I had escaped during the night. I didn't need to eat yet, but within an hour or so I would. But I had needed to see her. I went to her house and heard her mother sending her off to visit her grandmother. I followed her this far, but needed to see her again.  
  
"Good evening!"  
  
Little Red looked startled. "Good evening, wolf."  
  
She knew who I was! She recognized me! And she knew the nickname I wanted! But. but how? The nickname was only in my thoughts.  
  
Then I looked down, and saw I was my wolf self. She only called me what I appeared to be, not by nickname.  
  
"Going to your grandmother's, Little Red?"  
  
Little Red, who had continued down the path while I was pondering, stopped and whirled around on her heel. "WHO ARE YOU? How do you know my nickname? How do you know where I'm going? What else do you know about me?"  
  
"You'd be surprised at the answers. Just trust me, please. I won't hurt you. You know me, and perhaps I'll explain later. For now, just call me. just call me Wolf."  
  
"All right. Wolf."  
  
"I know the way to your grandmother's. But I know a different route. Would you like to race me there?"  
  
Little Red thought for a moment. "All right." She took off, hood falling back and curls bouncing.  
  
I ran along beside her for a while, just through the trees a bit, so I could follow her, as I didn't really know the way to her grandmother's. But I couldn't go on without talking to her again, just once more before Grandmother's.  
  
"Little Red?"  
  
Little Red looked up, slightly startled. "Hello again, Wolf. What do you need? I didn't think we'd meet until Grandmother's."  
  
"Yes, well.uh." I needed an excuse, fast! I spotted some wild flowers. "Would your grandmother like a bouquet of flowers?"  
  
"Well.yes, I suppose.I suppose she would."  
  
Little Red stooped down and began plucking at wild flowers. I took off through the trees again and as soon as I was out of eyesight, I jumped on the path and ran all the way until I came to a cottage that had to be Grandmother's.  
  
The moon had risen and the sun was setting. I would have to eat again, soon, very, very soon.  
  
I knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" came a weak voice from within.  
  
"Grandmother?" I called. "Is that you?"  
  
"Is that YOU Little Red? You sound. different!"  
  
I quickly masked my voice, and replied in Little Red's voice, "Yes, it's me Grandmother."  
  
"Oh! I'm delighted. Lift the latch and come in, dear."  
  
I lifted the latch, but didn't enter right away. what could I do? I had to get her out of the way, she'd be horrified if she saw me and petrified if she knew I'd befriended Little Red. Should I lock her in the closet? No, she'd band on the door and Little Red would know she' there. There was only one thing to do.  
  
I threw the door open and pounced on Grandmother. She screamed.  
  
It was her last scream.  
  
~*^*~  
  
I had practiced and perfected my Grandmother voice by the time Little Red arrived. I had needed a reason to be there already, a reason why Grandmother was missing. I had donned a mobcap and Grandmother's glasses (you'd be crazy to eat glass) and jumped in bed right before Little Red arrived. She knocked on the door.  
  
"Lift the latch and come in dear!"  
  
Little Red did so. She set the basket of goods her mother had sent with her on the bedside table.  
  
"Come near the bed."  
  
"That's all right, Grandmother, I need to wait outside for someone I met along the way."  
  
I looked at Little Red. she was lovely, beautiful, delicious-looking - no! I mustn't think that!  
  
"Just come for a minute."  
  
"Very well, Grandmother." Little Red came over and sat on a stool by the bed. She impatiently leaned to see out the window, then glanced towards me and jumped up, startled. "Grandmother! What big eyes you have!"  
  
"The better to look at your beautiful face with."  
  
"Grandmother! What big ears you have!"  
  
"The better to hear your lovely voice with."  
  
"Grandmother! What a big nose you have!"  
  
"The better to smell the delicious" - not that word again! - "goodies and sweet flowers you brought me."  
  
"Oh, Grandmother! You're not Grandmother! You're the wolf!"  
  
"YES!" I pounced out of bed and Little Red ran screaming. I untangled myself from the bed sheets and ran outside - where Little Red slammed an axe into my back while a hunter looked on stupidly.  
  
And Little Red, Goldilocks, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Lollipop, Peppermint, the hunter, Little Red's mother, and everyone but Grandmother and I lived happily ever after.  
  
A/N: Well, that's the update. She lives now and Wolf dies. and there were some other changes so it would make more sense. :-) 


End file.
